Mississippi investing nearly $17 million in site development

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has announced the state is investing nearly $17 million in site development grants to further develop industrial sites throughout the state. The proposed projects represent a continued commitment to attracting more opportunities for business development. The funding for these projects is being made available through the Mississippi Development Authority.

“Last year we brought in a record amount of new economic development, and these grants will help to continue Mississippi’s momentum,” said Reeves. “These long-term investments are designed to create ideal opportunities where companies will find shovel-ready sites on which to build, grow and expand. This is key to our strategy of bringing more higher-paying jobs to local communities.”

MDA is committing $16,859,893.19 in Site Development Grant – Select Sites funding. Created in 2021, the Select Sites program was designed to increase the number of highly competitive industrial sites available to meet the needs of prospective companies. Greenville, South Carolina-based Strategic Development Group was contracted by the state’s electric utilities to evaluate 32 of its top publicly owned industrial sites. Of these sites, the following are being invited to apply for Select Sites funding, based on current funding availability:

Select Sites

• Business and Technology Park North – Grenada County – $4,356,576 for grading at the park’s 200-acre rail-served site
• Pearl River County Industrial Park – Pearl River County – $1,350,000 to extend the turn lane into the industrial park
• I-59 Supply Chain Park – Forest/Jones County – $2,340,924.19 to construct a secondary access road into the park
• Mississippi Gulf Coast Aerospace Center at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport – Harrison County – $50,000 to complete the master plan for the 240-acre site
• I-59 South Industrial Site – Jones County – $881,350 to extend an all-weather access road and clear and grub additional acreage
• Marion County AirPlex/IndustryPlex – Marion County – $420,000 to complete a master plan at the 2,000-acre site
• Chickasaw Trail Industrial Park (Curl and Stamps Sites) – Marshall County – $1,113,853 to extend water and sewer lines and complete wastewater system improvements
• Eagle One Mega Site – Forest/Jones County – $360,000 to identify conceptual treatment and disposal technologies to increase wastewater capacity at the site
• East Metro Center (EMC) Industrial Park (EMC Rail Site) – Rankin County – $709,410 to complete a master plan, conduct pre-engineering work to extend water and wastewater lines, update environmental due diligence, conduct an ALTA survey and install signage
• I-20/I-59 Industrial Park – Lauderdale County – $685,800 for access road improvements
• Martintown North – Union County – $1,623,600 for construction of an on-site elevated water tower and an underground electrical line
• NorthStar Industrial Park – Oktibbeha County – $2,518,380 to construct a 200,000-square-foot building pad
• Port Bienville Site #1 – Hancock County – $450,000 for a wastewater capacity study and pre-engineering to increase wastewater capacity

“These sites represent opportunities to strengthen the foundation of Mississippi’s business infrastructure and demonstrate how attractive Mississippi continues to be for new and growing companies,” said MDA Executive Director Bill Cork. “The Site Development Grant Program is an important part of the growing portfolio of advantages that make Mississippi an ideal place for business.”